The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is proud to be part of Long Island's Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Education. Visit its web page for links to all partner organizations. Many have important COVID-19-related resources to offer: www.nassauboces.org/rtac
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The groundhog's verdict...
Winter Seminars are the place to be!
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Connect4Learning a Pre-K Curriculum for Our 21st Century Learners
Provided by Kaplan Early Learning Company, this presentation covers the scope and sequence of the Connect4Learning Pre-K Curriculum.
Connie Gorius, a former teacher, supervisor and early childhood specialist, will present the features and benefits of using an interdisciplinary curriculum with 21st Century Pre-K learners.
Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Registration: Free, but registration is required
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NEW LISTING!
Understanding the Pre-School Special Education Process:
Partnering with Families Through the Process
This presentation will provide Pre-K professionals with a foundational understanding of the preschool special education process. In this session, you will explore strategies for discussing the process with parents/guardians in order to encourage family involvement and cultivate home/school partnerships. In addition, the presenters will discuss considerations for determining when a child should be referred for special education in light of early childhood development across five functional areas. Participants will be provided with several online resources to enhance their understanding of the special education process, as well as gain helpful strategies in order to partner with families throughout this journey.
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Time: 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Registration: Free, but registration is required
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Bring numbers to life with math books |
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A great way to reinforce a positive attitude toward mathematics is to use activities and lessons from the books that children already love to hear and read. According to an article from The Erickson Institute’s Early Math Collaborative (EMC), children explore foundational mathematical concepts as they interact with math in their daily activities. “When reading and listening to books, mathematical situations come to life in new and fanciful ways.” Math is often a central part of what makes a story move along, and informs questions that children ask, such as “Is it fair?”, “Who is bigger/faster/stronger?”, and “What will happen next?”.
The EMC recommends that educators also take the math out of the book by playing with the stories. For example, you should act them out and ask ‘what-if’ questions. They have compiled a list of math books and concepts to help bring math to life! Some examples include the following:
Sets are a basic aspect of children’s thinking and learning. Books about sets can be diverse and important to the core of foundational mathematics:
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A Pair of Socks, by Stuart J. Murphy
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Exactly the Opposite, by Tana Hoban
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Sort it Out! by Barbara Mariconda
Number sense “is the ability to understand the quantity of a set and the name associated with that quantity.” Great number sense books include:
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A Million Fish…More or Less, by Patricia C. McKissack
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Two Mice, by Sergio Ruzzier
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Count to a Million, by Jerry Pallotta
Counting is a part of children’s daily activities, as well as many of the books they hear. They will love counting in the following books:
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Count and See, by Tana Hoban
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Fish Eyes, by Lois Ehlert
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Five Little Monkeys, by Eileen Christelow
Operations help children focus on “what happens when we join two sets together or separate a set into parts,” says the EMC. Check out these books that help children understand operations:
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Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
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The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins
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Too Many Tamales, by Gary Soto
Measurement is length, circumference, weight, temperature, and so much more:
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Actual Size, by Steve Jenkins
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Just a Little Bit, by Ann Tompert
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Ten Little Fish, by Audrey Wood
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Why reading the same book repeatedly is helpful |
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Are you tired of reading the same book over and over again? Do children beg you to read their favorites repeatedly? You may have loved a certain book at one time, but now you have probably grown to hate it. According to an article by Devon A. Corneal in Brightly, reading a book multiple times is actually good for children! Despite how annoying it may seem, whether you’re reading to the children or they’re reading to you, there are many benefits for young readers.
“When children read or hear the same book multiple times, they become familiar and comfortable with a greater number of words,” says Corneal. Their vocabulary and word recognition become larger.
When children hear the same stories read aloud, they become more aware of pattern and rhythm. Parents can actually model the rhythms of reading for children.
“Repetitive reading allows a child to read without stumbling or stopping, and reading becomes more pleasant for everyone,” says Corneal. After all, fluency is the ability to read text accurately, quickly and with expression.
Whenever children have books read to them, they learn more about the story itself. Even the illustrations allow them to understand the story on a deeper level. This helps with their comprehension, and prepares them for more complex stories in the future.
Children who can follow a story without stumbling over the words exhibit more confidence and are more likely to enjoy reading.
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Valentine’s Day picture books with heart |
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Instead of gifting children with chocolate treats, how about giving them books that they can read repeatedly while curled up with a hot chocolate? Brightly’s Janssen Bradshaw has compiled a sweet list of gifts to share with little ones this Valentine’s Day:
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ABCs of Love, by Patricia Hegarty. Children can learn their ABCs with this board book about love. The story teaches readers words and actions that symbolize the emotion.
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Love Makes a Family, by Sophie Beer. Read about how different types of families share their love with one another.
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That’s Me Loving You, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. “With soothing rhymes and illustrations of children independently going about their days, the story reminds little readers that no matter where they go, they can find their parents’ love near them,” says Krouse Rosenthal.
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Celebrate World Read Aloud Day
February 2!
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For 13 years, World Read Aloud Day has called attention to the importance of sharing stories by challenging participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read-aloud! The global effort is celebrated annually in over 173 countries and is all about bringing people together through the shared connection of reading aloud in all of our communities. Visit sponsor Scholastic for activities and events that you can enjoy with children.
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Relationships and Health —
New Connections for Early Learners
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Presented by Harvard Graduate School of Education, this virtual episode of the Episode Now series explores the emerging umbrella of “Early Relational Health” — the idea that relationships drive health and development in young children and that childhood development needs to put relationships at the center. It’s a new focal point for the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as many entities around the country.
Date: February 23, 2022
Time: 3pm
Location: Virtual
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The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a collaborating partner in the state-funded Long Island Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Childhood Education. |
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71 Clinton Rd. Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: 516-396-2220
www.nassauboces.org/pre-k
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